Finger board



Sept.30, 1941.A L. M. YORK 2,257,520

A FINGER BOARQ Filed Apri-l 15, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l A ttorney Sept' 30, 1941 L. M. YoRK 2,257,520

FINGER BOARD Filed April I15, 1940 42 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventar ANTR/FM. YoRK,

A Home!! Patented Sept. 3o, 1941 UNITED STATES f PATENT ori-ica rmxsall'rssann' l Lantrip M. York, Lake Charles, La. Application April 15, 1940, Serial No. 329,806 1 Claim. (Cl. 211-60) My invention relates tol improvements in iinger boards for use on the boom of oil well rigs of the type forming the subject matter of my U. S. Letters Patent No. 2,168,837, datedv August' 8,

1938, the present invention being designed as an` improvement over the finger board structure of said patent.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a finger board structure, whereby the racking of pulled sections of well tubing may be accomplished with greater speed and with a greater margin of safety than with the structure of ysaid patent. I

To the accomplishment of the above, andsubordinate objects presently appearing, the preferred embodiment oi my invention has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings, set forth in detail in thev succeeding description, and defined in the claim appended hereto. In said drawings: le Figure l is a fragmentary view in side elevation of the preferred embodiment of my invention, g

Figure 2 is a similar view in iront elevation, Figure 3 is a fragmentary View in side elevation, Figure 4 is a view in top plan with parts shown in section; and

The linger board, designated I5, has the form ora balcony-'like skeleton structureVproiecting forwardly and laterally o1' the boom I'and includy ing side pairs of parallel, upper and lower, tubular rails I6, I1, upon opposite sides of the Iboom, respectively, and extending forwardly thereof, each pair of rails being connected together at the ends thereof by tubular front and rear uprights I 8, I9; a pair of parallel, upper andvlower, iront tubular rails 20, 2|, extending between the upper and lower ends of said uprights I 8, with tubular uprights 22 connecting the same together; rear pairs of upper and lower tubular side rails 23, 24,

Figure 5 is a view in vertical transverse section i taken on the line 5f5 of Figure 4.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, the boom to which my improved finger board is designed to be applied being described in detail in my aforesaid patent, to which attention is directed, need not be entered into -in detail h erein; Suiiice it to explain that said boom, designated I, is a skeleton sectional structure, each section comprising four tubular-longitudinal side members 2 connected together in front and rear pairs bycross braces 3 and diagonal struts l; the sections being connected together end to end by tubular sockets 5 coupling the ends of the side members of adjoining sections together. The upper end of the boom I has suitably secured thereto, to project forwardly therefrom, a yoke 6 in which is mounted the usual sheave assembly l for the block and tackle including a hoisting forming rear end extensions of the side pairs, and inclining therefrom to the rear pair of longitudinal members 2 of one boom section; and a rear tubular, lower rail 26 extending across the front ofthe front pair of members 2 of said section and between the rear ends of the lower rails I'I of the described side pairs of rails, said rail 25 being secured at its ends to said rails I'I. The upper and lower rails I6, I1, of said side pairs may be made in sections secured together by sleeve couplings 26 and pins 2'I'Ior convenience inassemblingthe structure. Also said upper and lower rails I6, I1 may bebraced by tubular uprights 28 extending therebetween at suitable points. 4

The rear ends of the rails 23, 2l, are detachably secured to the rear pair of longitudinal mem- .bers 2 of boom I by suitable clamps 23 and bolts 30, and the lower rail Zito the front pair of longitudinal members 2 by similar clamps 3| and bons a2.

A pair of triangular platforms 33 extend between the lower rail 25 and the lower rear side rails 24, upon opposite sides of the boom, respectivelyI l A rectangular platform 34 of substantially the width of the boom 'I extends forwardly for a short distance from the lower rear rail 25 with its rear edge suitablysecured to said rail.

A narrow catwalk 35 extends from the lower rear rail 25 forwardly along the lower side rails cable s and a block s carried 1n the bignt or said cable, Suitable guy wires, or cables, I0, are attached to the 4upper end of the boom I tohold the same in a position inclined slightly forwardly from the vertical. The elements II, I2, and I3,

form partspibrace means fo'r the boom which need merely be identified in passing. The element Il is an idler pulley for the cable 8, as will be understood.

l1 and laterally along the lower front `rail 2 I. said walk comprising a pair of side sections. and a front section -3'I, the side sections 36 being bolted at the rear ends thereof to the vrear lower rail 25, as at 38, and the front ends of Asaid sections 36 together with the ends of front section 3l are suitably secured to angle plates 33 extending between each lower side rail I1 and lower front rail 2|.

A diagonal strut 40 extends downwardly from the front end of the platform 34 to one of the crossbraces l of the boom-I to which it is se'- available Ain any positionassuined by the op- 'A plurality'of racking angers, or rods, u extend forwardly from the lower rear rail Iliintermediate each section 3i of catwalk 35 and the platform 3l.

A series of similar racking iingers M extend inwardly from one lowerrail I'I in front of the racking nngers said iingers Il projecting inwardly beyond the adjacent catwalk section 3l from beneath the same.

In the use oi' the described linger board, andV I' as will be. apparent, the platforms Il, Il, and

the catwalk 35 are utilized byan operator to 4 manipulate the cable I and block l from different angles to guide the tubing sections, not shown,

being pulled, into the ,spaces between selected l platform 3| and racking fingers 43, M. Thus, a

single operator. may easilyand quickly rack a number of tubing sections and without danger of falling, or permitting the sections to fail,

erative. v

The foregoing will, it is believed, suillce to impart a clear understanding of my invention without further explanation.

Manifestly the invention, as described, is susceptible of modication without departing from the inventive concept and right is herein reserved 'to such modiiications as fall within the scope of the subjoined claim.

Having described the invention, what I claim A racking and nger board structure for attachment to a derrick boom comprising a rectangular skeleton frame includingl front. rear and end bars, respectively, an angle plate-disposed between said front bar and each end bar, attaching means on said rear and end bars whereby said frame is adapted for attachment to one side of the boom to extend laterally therefrom at a right angle thereto, a series of racking ngers secured to and` extending from one end bar inwardly of said frame, and a platform panel extending along said one end bar and supported by said rear bar and anangle plate foruse by a workman to rack pipe between said lingers, said. )fingers underlying said platform panel and ex tending inwardly, beyond said panel to accomv K modate the pipe therebetween. the rails 2l, it andY 2l providing hand grips 30 I LANTRIPM. YORK. 

